Fancy An Electric Bike?

would do for the city.

 

£20,000 for a heavy 125 with a restricted range and weird looks. Sure, these are going to sell like hot cakes.

 

Yup....I looks cack.

 

If you really must have a slow, weird-looking bike, you really must have one of these...



The Agility Saietta R. 105mph and 120-mile (urban) battery range, but acceleration is in superbike territory and it should handle great - and it's made in London, and 4 grand cheaper than the Johammer!

I've actually sat on this bike (the one in the picture) and spoken with the CEO of the company. We chatted for about 20 minutes, and not once did he mention the environment or green issues, he spoke only of the enjoyment of riding motorcycles. Which is how it should be. And the bike looks a very serious proposition close up, the rolling chassis is built for handling. I rather like it

 

And I thought the Panigale was everything at the front and nothing at the back...

 

The frame's a monocoque, with a big carbon fibre battery box forming the core and everything else bolted to it - so the panigale reference is valid! It also has a girder fork up front and I believe he said K-Tech suspension both ends (I might be wrong though, it was good quality kit whatever it was), and Brembos all round.

I would have had a go on the bike at the time, but it was really hammering down with rain, and he had a load of sensors attached to the bike that he was worried about getting wet. Sooner or later I'll get round to riding it, he gave me his business card and said I could take one out whenever I wanted. I'll let you know if it happens.

 

Here's the rub.....at the moment would I sacrifice the RSV or hyper for something electric.....no...there's nothing out there so far....

 

There's plenty out there, but the prices are all wrong.

It's only battery technology that's holding electric bikes back, and as more and more major car manufacturers get involved with electric power, that battery technology will move on very quickly. Trouble is, unless people start buying electric bikes now, there'll be no electric bike manufacturers around to take advantage of it...

 

Agreed. I'd have to loose a top end bike and then add another 10k to it for the pleasure.

 

I'm beginning to think that the real motivator behind battery technology will be the military for their AI robotic soldiers. It's battery technology that will soon be holding them back. Not much point having a lethal robot if it runs out of juice the whole time.

 

Almost certainly right. I believe the military were the driving force behind lithium ion batteries.

 

That looked like Homer Simpson's now designing bikes

 

... and flying drones.

 

Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) are where it's at. The one in the Voyager space craft launched in 1977 is still providing a significant amount of power and will hopefully continue until 2025

 

Will they fit in a motorbike..?

 

Yes, although they are a tad expensive atm.